


Let's Make Yours and Mine Ours

by idcishipit



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alcohol, First Meetings, Friends to Lovers, How Do I Tag This, M/M, One Shot, One Shot Collection, One shots I write when inspired, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Random AUs, Songfic, Strangers to Lovers, Swearing, solangelo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-28
Updated: 2019-08-25
Packaged: 2019-09-29 00:47:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17193335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idcishipit/pseuds/idcishipit
Summary: One-shot collection of solangelo.Random AUs, songfics, prompts, works inspired by random things, etc.





	1. Free Fall

**Author's Note:**

> I decided to make a place where I can post my one-shots for solangelo. Some will be longer and others shorter, and probably not connected at all. Some may be good, some may be bad, but they're all going to be posted anyway. 
> 
> I don't own the characters or any songs/lyrics used.

Once when he was almost eleven, he had begged his mom to take him to the amusement park a few hours away.

He had cleaned his room and kept it nearly spotless, he folded his own clothes, he got good grades, and promised his mom would never have to get him anything ever again.

Money was tight, but his mom took him. They rode a couple of the smaller coasters because he wasn’t tall enough for the bigger ones yet.

They were taking a break underneath some umbrellas with lemonade when he spotted the tower.

He can’t remember the name now, something with a ‘drop’ in it, but he had watched a girl a bit smaller than him hop into a seat. They slowly rose to the top and suddenly dropped.

The riders screamed, and the little girl practically flew out of her seat, but when she climbed out a few drops later, she was laughing.

It took a while to convince his mom that yes, he wanted to ride it and yes, he wasn’t going to freak out, and yes, he was big enough.

He did freak out just a little. He couldn’t help it. As his feet dangled into nothingness as he rose higher and higher, he thought that maybe they should raise the height restrictions.

The worst part was the pause. Will knows he’s going to fall and the pull over safety bar is way too big and far for his tiny chest and all he has to hold onto is little metal grips no wider than pencils.

Something releases, and everything in his stomach disappears.

It’s both the best and worst feeling he’s ever felt.

When he tries to explain it to Nico, he gets a strange look and a “Are you feeling alright?”

Nico sets down his bow on the empty bleachers, giving his boyfriend an incredulous look. Will will never tell him it’s adorable, but it doesn’t stop him from appreciating it.

“You get motion sick from shadow-travel and you like roller coasters?”

“They’re totally different,” Will tries to explain, “shadow-travel is like being spaghettified and coasters are a rush of death without dying.”

Nico frowns.

“ _Anyway_ ,” Will continues, tugging Nico down next to him, “that’s how it kinda feels when I kiss you and I want you to know what it feels like.”

A bead of warmth grows in his chest when Nico blushes and tries to hide it beneath his dark fringe. “Well I’m glad you feel like dying when we kiss.”

Will nudges his shoulder and grins, “The best kind of dying.”

“Why do I like you?”

“Do you want an alphabetical list or- “

“Shut up, Solace.”

“Make me, Death Boy.”

He totally, effectively, does. 

***

It takes a week of consistent bugging, but eventually both Nico and Chiron agree to let Will take Nico out of camp to ride roller coasters for reasons he didn’t exactly tell the centaur.

Honestly, Nico was more difficult than Chiron because Will wouldn’t budge on letting them shadow-travel there and Nico hated public transportation.

(It’s gross and sticky, Will.)

But with a lot of pleading looks and some very passionate kissing, Nico reluctantly gives in.

It’s 6am on a Saturday morning when Will knocks on the Hades cabin. Fog is starting to rise off the grass and very few people are awake. It was a quiet dawn that Will savors every time.

It wasn’t an amusement park that he found nearby but the carnival had a drop tower and some other smaller rides and games that Will thinks Nico will enjoy even if he doesn’t admit it.

The door cracks open and a chocolate eye peeks out. “I’m only doing this to get out of activities.”

Will grins as Nico opens the door and shuffles out, tightening his sword around his hips. His boyfriend wasn’t a morning person and his messy hair was only one piece of evidence. Will grabs his hand and swings it between them as they cross camp to Thalia’s tree.

“Damn, I thought being unsupervised outside of camp with your boyfriend was a good reason. It’s my reason, anyway.”

Nico blushes but squeezes Will’s hand.

One of their compromises was Nico could shadow-travel them to the bus stop a few miles outside of camp. Black spots pop across Will’s vision while Nico clutches his arm. Will scolds himself for agreeing to the jump, but he and Nico share the Gatorade without a word.

Nico tries to stay alert despite the early hour and jump, but he nods off after Will promises to wake him up if he saw anything suspicious.

His soft hair tickles Will’s chin, smelling like the generic shampoo from the camp store and something distinctly Nico that Will hasn’t found a name for yet.

A few more people in suits and other work clothes board the bus, and none of them look like monsters. One, an elderly man with fishing gear, glances between Will and Nico before smiling and settling in the seat in front of them.

As they get closer to the carnival and more children get on the bus with excited chatter, Will gently shakes his boyfriend awake, watching amused as he looks around in confusion with his bleary eyes.

He plops his head back on Will’s shoulder, closing his eyes again and mumbling, “How many more stops?”

“I think just one,” Will answers, studying the map he printed off the camp’s computer.

Nico moans something unintelligible.

“Hmm?”

Nico lifts his head and rubs a hand over his face. “I haven’t been to a festival in a long time.”

“Carnival.”

“What?”

“It’s a carnival, not a festival.”

“Same thing,” Nico says, stretching. He catches Will watching his sweatshirt ride up, forgetting his argument, and smirks.

His cheeks start to burn, and he looks back to his map. Maybe this unchaperoned trip wasn’t the best idea; they might not even get passed the gate.

Okay, it was a  _fantastic_  idea.

But they make it through, towering over the many kids around them. Nico’s sword bumps their legs and Will vaguely wonders what the Mist makes it look like. Maybe a fanny pack which makes him chuckle, causing Nico to smile curiously. He doesn’t explain.

He drags his boyfriend to the ticket stand, passing over mortal money until he nearly buys out the booth. Nico has to drag him away, a smile twitching on his lips and it makes Will’s heart light.

He had debated a long time about telling Nico about the drop tower, the swooping in his belly that he felt every time they kissed, because Nico didn’t like crowds. It had taken weeks for Nico to join them regularly at campfire, where he was safe, and Will hadn’t known how he would react to leaving camp, but he was pleasantly surprised (ecstatic) when Nico finally agreed.

They switch places, so Will is the one dragging his boyfriend around. He takes him straight to the drop tower. It’s much shorter than the one he rode in middle school, but tall enough that Will knows their hearts and stomachs will leave their places.

The line isn’t too long but it’s filled with a bunch of teenagers just like them, except mortal.

Nico keeps glancing between him and the tower as they move closer to the guy collecting the tickets. Will almost asks if he wants to do something else, but Nico doesn’t look nervous or hesitant. It’s more like uncertainty.

They watch as people climb on and inch their way to the top, laughing and burying their faces in their hands as they get farther from the ground. One girl’s eyes are the size of dinner plates.

Will studies Nico, who studies the tower as it pauses.

There’s a hint of a smile on his face, no doubt at the scared riders stuck up high. Will knew Nico wasn’t afraid of heights, so he still doesn’t know why there’s still a hint of uncertainty in his dark eyes.

He’s about to open his mouth when the tower drops. People scream loudly as they free fall back down, and Will can already feel the displacement of his organs.

It only lasts about a second before the ride catches the seats a few feet from the platform. The riders’ hair settles back into place as they laugh, and the bars pop up.

Will frowns at the single drop but it disappears quickly as they reach the ramp and hand their tickets over before he grabs Nico’s hand.

He pulls Nico to some seats facing the rest of the carnival and eagerly pulls down his bar before pushing Nico’s down, laughing at the indignant look on his boyfriend’s face.

“I’m not two, sunshine.”

Will laughs again and kisses Nico’s nose. His boyfriend may not be two, but Will is as he wiggles in his seat.

The ride operator takes way too long to walk around checking their bars and securing them, so they make a locking sound. When their secure and he moves on, Will grins at Nico before faltering.

Nico stares at him intently, his eyes closed off in a way Will hasn’t seen in nearly a year, not since he had dragged Nico into to infirmary after the almost-fight with the Romans. Will swallows thickly, a heavy rock settling in his stomach that will probably fly around inside too.

“Nico- “

Their seats lurch and they’re rising. His shoes dangle freely. He watches Nico glare at the carnival tents growing smaller and wonders if he messed up.

The seats lurch again and he hears someone on the other side scream as they look down. Will looks down too and feels his stomach do a jig and they’re not even falling yet.

He looks at Nico who’s watching his boots hang in empty air.

The pause seems too long, and he starts wondering if the ride is broken or if Hades is messing with their ride because he did something wrong with bringing Nico here.

There’s a bubble of quiet around them. He hears the noises of the carnival around them like they’re underwater. Nico’s lips are pressed tight and Will’s stomach drops.

The thing with dating Nico is that everything felt new, and in a way, it was because of course they were still learning things about each other and being together, but sometimes that learning came after pushing the wrong button. He’s starting to think this is one of those buttons.

Something clicks and they’re falling. Will yelps, ripped out of his doubts as they plummet. He swears he hears Nico gasp, but his stomach is flipping, boulder and all.

The platform comes up much too quickly and Will has just to enough time to wonder if this is how he’ll die, smashed into a carnival ride platform when they slam to a stop, their feet dangling a few feet from the metal grating.

People laugh around him but he only glances at Nico, the rock lodged in his throat.

Nico’s already looking at him, his eyes wide and hair ruffled, and Will’s breath disappears.

If he didn’t know better, he would never believe someone who told him this boy, this beautiful, pretty, adorably excited boy, led an army of the dead down the streets of New York. He just looks like a typical teenager who was dropped in free fall.

They clumsily push the bars over their heads and push their way down the exit ramp. Will doesn’t reach for Nico’s hand.

But Nico grabs it anyway and pulls him between the tower and another ride. His face is carefully blank, like he left his excitement and uncertainty up on the platform. Will swallows, trying to ignore his squirming insides.

The thing was- this thing with Nico was something Will was so careful with. He kept it cradled close to his chest.

In the beginning, he always chose his words carefully, afraid that one wrong word said in just the wrong way would send Nico into literal and metaphorical darkness. He wouldn’t claim credit for bringing Nico out of that because of the Seven, but he would not be the one who pushed him back into it.

So, he was careful. Will would never tell Nico, but he cradled their relationships like a nest of bird eggs, terrified he’d move too fast and destroy it.

So, he studies his red converses in the flattened grass, wondering if he just dropped something very, very precious.

Dark boots move between his shoes. They’re scuffed but in good shape for their history with Nico. He distractedly wonders if Nico had worn anything but boots or if he ever wore soft slippers.

“Will?”

He quickly glances up, and looks back down, playing with his ace bandage so he doesn’t have to look at that blank face. It reminded him of the distance Nico put between them after they fell asleep at the lake and had a nightmare.

_Gods._

Nico’s calloused hand cups his chin, forcing him to meet his eyes. His chocolate eyes are dark like cracked obsidian.

Over nine months of dating and Will has no idea what Nico is about to say. Not a clue.

Nico’s eyes search his and they soften a little. “You said that’s how it feels when we kiss?”

Will’s face starts to burn, and he wishes it was nighttime instead of noon, so Nico wouldn’t see. He nods, forcing himself to keep meeting his eyes.

A grin breaks across Nico’s face and Will loses his breath again.

“Good,” Nico says, and kisses Will.

Maybe Will is getting old because his memory must be faulty, because the tower has nothing on what Nico does to him.

He falls into the kiss and it’s a different kind of free fall. His stomach doesn’t disappear, and his heart doesn’t trade places with his kidney. It’s his entire mind and soul that swoops as he winds his hand through soft hair, pulling Nico’s hips closer to his.

Someone taps Will’s shoulder and he pulls away, annoyed. He turns around and it’s the ride operator.

He raises a brow and points down at their feet twisted in some ride cables. Will looks up at the stopped tower and someone whistles at them.

He ducks his head, muttering apologies and pulling Nico away toward some food tents.

Will wrestles them into a line for pizza and elephant ears before bursting out laughing. He wipes his eyes to grin at his boyfriend who is as red as he feels but also grinning.

He pulls Nico toward him by his sword’s belt, probably a fanny pack with a skull on it to everyone else, and kisses him again, just to make sure he’s right that Nico has more a stronger effect than inertia and gravity ever will.

He totally does.

 


	2. Gorgeous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drunk meetings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This song... so many ships I can apply it to... 'Gorgeous' and its lyrics belong to Taylor Swift.

_You should take it as a compliment_

_That I got drunk and made fun of the way you talk_

 

***

 

Listen. Nico didn’t usually drink. He didn’t even like alcohol all that much, but it wasn’t his fault Percy and Annabeth’s engagement party was thrown at a bar now was it?

He lost track of them about an hour ago. Maybe it was ten minutes ago. He didn’t know. The bar didn’t have windows or a clock and whenever he looked at his phone the number swam dangerously and burned his eyes.

How did they even pick this place? It’s dark as all hell except for the weirdly dim lights over the bar counter and the neon jukebox.

Well he did see it when he came however long ago that was but now Leo’s draped halfway across it while a girl bravely wearing a white dress smirks at him openly.

Nico waits for the world to stop hula hooping for a minute before getting to the counter. He thinks he hears Piper laugh but it’s almost immediately covered up by shitty music-probably chosen by Leo- and the twangy-iest twang Nico’s ever heard.

It makes him wonder if he’s somehow teleported to the deep, Deep South until he hears two people singing happy birthday in a normalish voice. Whose birthday was it again?

Then he hears it again and he laughs right out loud. It’s so bad, like Percy was trying to act southern (was it Percy’s birthday?) or maybe Leo. One of them.

He’s swallowing a giggle when the person next to him spin on the bar stool and almost falls off, grabbing the counter and sending Nico back into a fit of giggles.

Mr. Tall, Blonde, and Handsome cocks an eyebrow at him, “hello.”

His voice makes Nico snort which makes the world start hula hooping again but it doesn’t stop Nico from intimidating him. Nico sounds pretty good if he could say so.

Mr. Blonde smirks. “Are you making’ fun of my accent?”

“No,” Nico says, bursting into giggles. The world stills enough for Mr. Blonde to be less blurry. “You know those lakes that are like super deep but are so um clean that you can see all the way to the bottom? That’s what your eyes look like. Like if I looked really close I bet I could see your brain.”

“Oh, could you?”

“Yes. I’ve went to college. I know these things.”

“You’ve went to college?”

“Yes,” Nico insists. He hops up on the empty stool and almost topples over, but Mr. Lake Eyes steadies him by grabbing his arm and it feels nice.

“Thanks. Can you talk in your normal voice?”

“I am talking in my normal voice.”

“Are not.”

“Are too.”

Nico squints at Mr. Lake Eyes and he can’t reconcile the Californian looks with Texas or Louisiana or whatever is in the south. But from this angle up on the stool he can tell Mr. Lake Eyes isn’t just handsome he’s-

“You’re gorgeous,” Nico states, because it’s as true as saying water is wet.

Under the weird lights Nico can’t tell but he thinks Mr. Gorgeous turns red and a small kernel of pride burns in Nico’s chest. Jason would be so proud of his flirting. He should tell him about it later.

Mr. Gorgeous takes a sip of his drink. “You’re more drunk than I thought.”

“No!” Nico says, because Mr. Gorgeous needs to know how gorgeous he is, “you’re so gorgeous like you’re ‘it should be illegal that I’m talking to you right now’ type of gorgeous. Like even your hair looks like a sunset.”

He says it because it’s true. The blonde is more gold and maybe it’s more of a reverse sunset because the top is lighter than the fringe but that’s not the point.

And then the man grins. It reaches his eyes, and all Nico can think is “oh shit.”

He fumbles over his words and spits something out before nearly face-planting on the floor. Mr. Gorgeous says something but Nico doesn’t listen and hurries to the table where Piper sleeps on Jason shoulder.

“Oh, thank the gods,” Jason says. “I thought I lost you. Can you find Leo for me, so we can get going?”

“Jason, I just met the most beautiful person in the world.”

“Oh good, you’re drunk too. You know at this rate I’m going to get drunk just from association.”

Nico slides into the booth, “Jason you don’t get it; he’s gorgeous. Illegal gorgeous. I had to leave.”

“Alright,” he says, his lips twitching, “which one is he?”

“The gorgeous one.”

“I need a bit more than that Nico.”

Nico points to the blonde at the bar who’s talking to a girl with blue hair, probably his girlfriend with Nico’s luck. He sighs.

“That’s his girlfriend.”

Jason follows his unsteady finger. “Did he say that?”

“How can she not be? He’s so pretty, Jason. He even has a stupid accent.” Nico buries his face in his arms on the sticky table, imagining Mr. Gorgeous talking to him like he’s talking to the woman with blue hair.

“Stay here,” Jason says over the music. “I’m gonna go find Leo.”

Nico doesn’t move but he feels the table shake as Jason leaves. He thinks he hears Mr. Gorgeous talk but maybe he’s dreaming it because next thing he knows someone’s shaking him.

“C’mon, Neeks. Time to go home.”

Nico moans but lifts his head, looking for the blonde at the bar but he’s gone and so is the blue haired lady. Something in his chest sinks and he feels like crying.

Jason leads him to the car, and Nico thinks he should thank him for not being as much as a problem that piper and Leo are sure to be, and clambers in beside a snoring piper.

One of her hair feathers tickling his nose and him starting to laugh is the last thing he remembers before everything goes dark.

 

***

“Rise and shine.”

“Go away,” Nico tries to throw a pillow at the intruder, but the movement makes his head hurt so he groans instead and pulls the blankets over his head.

“I brought you a hangover cure though,” Jason says. Nico hears him set down a glass.

“You can take your gross egg yolks, Grace, and shove them up-”

Something light falls into his hair. He fumbles around for it and pulls off the blanket. Jason crosses his arm with a weirdly satisfied smirk on his face.

Nico squints at him suspiciously (and because goddamn is it bright) before looking at the paper in his hand. He unfolds it and then immediately shuts it again, glaring at Jason because what the hell.

“What is this?”

“You know what it is,” he says, his smirk growing into a grin. “It’s Mr. Gorgeous’ number.”

Flashbacks of the night before comeback to him: The party, the drinks, the blonde, the rambling to Jason on the way home about the blonde, Mr. Gorgeous.

“You should give it a shot,” Jason picks up the glass of egg yolks, “He seemed cool.”

The door clicks shut behind him. Nico tried to ignore the burning in his cheeks as more of the night before comes back to him, amplifying his hangover. He opens the paper again.

It’s a phone number, a name, and a note.

_You’re gorgeous, too._

 

***

 

_You're gorgeous_

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <3


	3. Christmas is a time for wishes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Imagine your OTP as children waiting for Santa to show up on Christmas Eve.  
> https://pairing-prompts.tumblr.com/post/181381843410/imagine-your-otp-as-children-waiting-for-santa-to
> 
> They're six/seven in this fic

The little clock ticks and Nico kicks his legs under the blankets. The grownups were still downstairs being loud. Didn’t they understand they needed to be quiet and go to bed?

Nico tosses over into a pile of his stuffed animals and waits a minute. He shuts his eyes tight and counts ten sheep but he’s not even sleepy, but he had been sent up to bed even though everyone else got to stay awake.

He huffs before tossing his blanket off, careful not to push Spot off the bed. The floor is soft as he crosses it and shakes the boy in the other bed.

The moon shines through the window enough for Nico to see Will’s eyes open. His hair falls into them when he sits up. Bianca wouldn’t let Nico’s hair grow that long.

“Will, the grownups won’t go to bed.”

Will rubs his hands in his eyes. “They have to though. They can’t stay up forever. Santa’s gotta come.”

“What if they don’t?” His stomach starts to hurt like that time he ate too many cookies. “What if Santa doesn’t come because he knows they’re not sleeping? And I can’t sleep because they’re being loud  _so_  I’m not sleeping  _either!_ ”

They’re quiet as they imagine not waking up to tomorrow to presents and half eaten carrots and cookies and stuffed socks.

Will grabs Nico’s hand, “It’s going to be fine. Look,” He points out the window.

A car lights up and they can barely hear its doors opening and closing but it pulls away and light from inside shines over the snow as the front door opens again.

“See? They’re starting to leave so our dads will go to bed soon and Santa will come.”

Despite Will sounding so sure, something gnaws at Nico.

“What if it’s too late? What if he saw everyone awake and left?”

His stomach starts to hurt more when Will doesn’t have an answer or a good idea. Instead he looks like his belly hurts too.

He imagines tomorrow again, the empty spaces underneath the tree where they’re presents are supposed to be, and the limp stockings over the fireplace. He imagines not getting any presents, or Bianca, or Will and it makes him really sad, then he gets mad.

Didn’t the grownups know? His dad told Nico he had to go to bed so that Santa would visit. Why didn’t his dad want Santa to bring them stuff?

He kicks his feet a little until he hears a sniff.

Will’s hair is all over his face again, but he rubs his eyes underneath it all. Nico goes for the tissues next to his bed because his nose was runny but Will sniffles again.

He leans forward to try to see Will’s face. “Are you crying?”

“No,” Will says but he sounds like he’s lying.

“Don’t cry, Will,” Nico grabs his hand again, squeezes it like Bianca does when he’s sad. “I’ve got a plan.”

Will looks up and his eyes look different. “You do?”

“Yeah.” Nico kicks his feet up once. He didn’t have a plan until he told Will he had a plan. “I think if we go downstairs after everyone finally goes to bed, then maybe Santa will come to check the living room to make sure everyone’s sleeping, and we’ll tell him that we’re sorry, but we couldn’t make the grownups go to bed. Then we go to sleep, so he can leave presents.”

Will thinks about it, scrunching his eyebrows together. Nico tries to copy him. “I think that’s a good idea, Nico. We’ll save Christmas!”

Nico grins back at him, and they whisper and watch the cars drive away until there’s only theirs and Will’s dad’s car left. They shush each other when footsteps pass their door, but no one comes in.

They wait ten minutes before sliding off Will’s bed and to the door. Nico presses his ear against it and listens really hard. When he doesn’t hear anything, he turns the doorknob as quiet as he can, and they crawl down the hallway.

When they get to Bianca’s room, they sneak extra quiet because she was better than Nico’s dad at knowing when they were doing things they weren’t supposed to, but they get passed it to the stairs.

Will holds onto the railing carefully as Nico goes stair by stair on his butt. He makes a little noise, but it gets him down faster than Will, so he finds the tray of uneaten cookies and carrots first.

He points them out to Will before climbing into the big chair near the Christmas tree. It was his dad’s favorite chair but Nico’s sure it’s okay because he needs a good spot to see the chimney.

Will gets on after him, squeezing between Nico and the arm, rocking the chair a bit. Nico tugs the big blanket off the back and throws it over their feet since the fire is out for Santa to come in.

Some of the lights on the Christmas tree blink on and off in different colors. Nico can see the blue ninja ornament he hung a few days ago with his dad holding him so he could put up so high.

“What did you ask for for Christmas?” Will asks, pulling the blanket up to his chin.

“Will! I’m not supposed to tell you that!” Nico whispers loudly.

“That’s for wishes not Santa.”

“Oh. I asked for Mythomagic cards, like the really powerful ones, and a monster truck, and Legos. What did you write?”

Nico had been so focused on writing his letter in his nearest handwriting (while asking Bianca how to spell) that he hadn’t looked at Will’s list.

He tugs the blanket closer, “I asked him to bring your mom back ‘cause you were so sad last Christmas and on your birthday ‘cause she wasn’t here.”

Remembering his mom isn’t here makes it hard to swallow and makes his eyes itch but he ignores them as much as he can like the bullies at school.

“Santa’s elves can’t make my mom though.”

“I know but I thought they could try.”

Nico’s eyes start to hurt really bad because his mom won’t be there tomorrow to open presents and never will be forever and ever and it makes his heart hurt  _a lot_.

All of a sudden, he’s crying, and Will is giving him his biggest hug, but it doesn’t help make his heart feel better. He cries for a long time before hiccuping and wiping his nose on the blanket.

“Do you think Santa will be here soon?” Will asks, his arms still around Nico’s shoulders.

“I think so. Dad’s been gone a long time.”

“My dad too.”

“Yeah.”

 

***

 

Hades grabs a cookie off the plate before carefully starting the coffee. Knowing his kids with the addition of Apollo and Will for the day, he was going to need several pots.

_Bianca’s becoming quite the baker_ , he thinks while munching on the cookie. He steals another then opens the hall closet where presents are stuffed behind old shoes and ratty snow coats.

Hades grabs as many presents as he can before toting them to the living room, but before he makes it to the tree, he freezes.

The two boys snuggled underneath the blanket makes him step carefully on the hardwood floors. He sets the presents down gently in their places before straightening.

Will was a few inches taller than Nico, because of both genetics and age, but Will’s golden curls are tucked beneath Nico’s chin while Will’s arm are wrapped around Nico. They’re twisted together like pretzels, but they snore soundly, no doubt Nico sharing his cold with his best friend as he did all other things.

He takes a moment to study the two of them, wondering if he could possibly separate them and carry them to bed without waking them, but decides against it. Instead he carefully and quietly surrounds them with their presents because he doubts anyone would be able to untangle them from each other.

 


	4. Halo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Halo' belongs to Beyonce. I specifically listened to the cover by Jasmine Thompson
> 
> This is very short.

_Remember those walls I built_

_Well, baby, they're tumbling down_

_And they didn't even put up a fight_

_They didn't even make a sound_

 

***

 

Will was golden.

His hair, his skin, his touch, his heart. It was all golden.

Nico doesn’t know why it took him so long to realize this. He and Will had just celebrated their first anniversary after a few months of circling each other, so how had he not noticed that the whole world got a bit brighter whenever Will smiled until now?

It wasn’t just his powers either. Sure, his hands glowed when he was healing campers, but Nico was more certain than anything that Will would be the same even if he was mortal.

Even in the shade of the Big House something about him sparks. Nico knows because he can feel a spare spark in his chest whenever Will sends him a grin.

He catches Nico staring at him and smiles, “Do I have something on my face?”

Nico can’t help but smile back. Instead of answering, he scoots closer to Will and listens to the clanging of swords from the arena and shouts coming from the fire wall, injuries Will will no doubt affectionately complain about later.

Despite being in the shade for a while Will’s shoulders are still warm from the sun. It must be a child of the sun-god thing because it’s only starting to feel like spring.

“You’re being extra cuddly today, Death Boy.”

“Shut up, no I’m not.” But there’s no heat behind it. If he was being more affectionate, then that was no one’s business but theirs.

He lets his eyes slip shut against the noise, lets the rhythm of Will’s breathing and the cadence of his heart start to lull him into sleep.

It’s not long before he wakes up to Will’s shaking. He must have slipped down into Will’s lap because he looks up and watches him laugh silently at something in his book. His eyes squinted shut, biting his lip.

He’s so pretty Nico reaches up and runs his hand through the golden curls. The silky strands practically swim between his fingers as Will pushes closer like a cat.

“Did you enjoy your nap?” Will says, his eyes still shut.

“I did.”

“Don’t glare at me but I love that you take naps now.”

Nico doesn’t want to glare. He’s fighting down a grin, still carding his fingers through Will’s hair. He was loving that he was taking naps too. He would never admit to anyone, but the naps really helped; They didn’t come often, mostly when he’s with Will or after shadow-traveling, but they were nice.

“When is your next shift?”

“After lunch. I told Kayla I would switch with her to have Friday off.”

Blue was never his favorite color; it just wasn’t. He didn’t have a reason, but now. Now, he still couldn’t say that blue was his favorite because when Will opened his eyes, they couldn’t be described with only a word.

“What are you doing Friday?”

“Absolutely nothing.”

Nico moves his hand to Will’s neck and pulls himself up and Will down. He doesn’t think he could ever get used to Will’s lips and the things they made him feel.

The sun peeks around the corner of the Big House and shines through Will’s hair, giving him a shiny halo. It seems fitting.

Nico kisses him one more time before pulling himself up with Will’s shirt. “Do you want to go to my cabin?”

Will’s grin turns wicked. “Definitely.”

Nico smacks his arm before pulling him up and keeping his hand in his as he leads him to cabin 13. He can feel his boyfriend’s confusion at all the touching, but Nico is feeling bold dragging him across camp.

The cabin was still dark. He had gotten permission from his father and Chiron to remodel it, and Will had promised to help, he just hadn’t gotten around to it.

But... he was excited to do it with Will. To make something better, new.

“Sit,” Nico says, shutting the door.

Will does, falling back on his bed. Nico’s lips twitch when he bounces once, then twice.

Will grins at him. “You’ve got me right where you want me. Do what you must,” then he falls back dramatically.

Nico rolls his eyes and pulls him back up. He makes to back away, but Will holds onto his hands and tugs him closer so he’s standing between his knees. “What’s up?”

He thinks of breakfast with Jason and Percy, washing the dishes with Piper and Annabeth afterwards, napping with Will.

“I don’t know. It’s just been a good day.”

Will searches his face and whatever it finds makes his gentle smile burst into a grin.

“That’s great, Nico. I’m glad you’re having a good day.”

Earnestness shines in his eyes. It stands out sharply from his golden curls and the year-round bronze of his skin. Will squeezes his hands, genuinely ignorant of how big a part he played to make the day more bearable, lighter.

“Me too.”

 

***

 

_I can feel your halo (halo) halo_

_I can see your halo (halo) halo_

_I can feel your halo (halo) halo_

_I can see your halo (halo) halo_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	5. Plans

Nico hadn’t thought of the future in a very, very long time.

It was just kind of a rule. Don’t point at people, don’t pick your nose, don’t think about a future you won’t ever have.

At least, not until after the war with Gaia. Will had a lot to do with that.

It was hard not to think about the future when your best friend would bring it up. College, careers, houses with the picket white fence.

When Percy and Annabeth visited camp every other weekend, Will always bombarded them with questions about their classes, about New Rome’s housing options, how many families lived there.

It gave Nico a stomachache.

Now it was the start of Will’s senior year. He left camp tonight and he’d go to school, graduate and then move into New Rome and become an excellent doctor while Nico stayed behind.

He knew he was hurting Will by staying away today, he had seen it on his face when he sat next to Clovis instead. It made his chest hurt when he saw Will stop waving and put down his hand.

The cool water laps around his ankles. Once sitting on the dock reminded him of Percy but now it’s Will’s sleepy eyes.

He loves Will, he’s known that for a long time and Will knows it too, which makes it all so much worse. Nico knew they wanted each other now, but what about later when Will realized he was better than him? Who knew what they wanted to do with their life?

“There you are.”

Nico doesn’t look up. He knew he couldn’t hide forever but that doesn’t mean he has to look up.

Two shoes drop beside his own and two tanned feet dip into the water next to his. Will twirls his feet in circles before locking his ankle around Nico’s.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart?” Will asks quietly, “You’ve been avoiding me all day.”

Fuck. He was going to make someone so happy one day, and they wouldn’t be Nico.

“Nico?”

_You deserve better than this_ , he thinks. 

Nico blinks his burning eyes before looking at his boyfriend even though he knows his eyes are still red and his nose is too. Will’s seen him worse.

“Oh, Nico, what happened?” Will runs his thumb under his eyes, taking the tears with him before grabbing his hand. They fit so well together.

“You’re leaving.”

A crease forms between Will’s eyebrows, the one he gets when he’s confused or concentrating. “It’s just school. I’ll be back at summer and on my breaks. It’s the same as last year.”

Nico shakes his head. “No, it’s not. You’re going to graduate and then go to New Rome and be an awesome doctor and I’m just going to be here.” He pulls his hand out of Will’s to grip the dock to stop his hands from shaking.

Will doesn’t say anything, yet Nico can feel his eyes on him. It beyond shitty that his source of pain and comfort are the same person.

He tells himself that it’s because he’s upset and angry at himself, but he doesn’t think anyone would want him but Will. He knows it’s not true, the actual truth is that he only wants Will and he’s losing him in a matter of hours.

“Nico, look at me.”

He’s blurry but Nico’s looking at him. Maybe it’ll be easier if he can’t see these few minutes clearly.

“We are not breaking up,” Will states, voice firm. He grabs Nico’s wrist but doesn’t pull it. “This isn’t any different than last year. I’m not just going to disappear.”

Nico’s shaking his head. He doesn’t get it. “You don’t get it, Will.”

“Please tell me what I’m not getting, Nico. Tell me what’s going on in your head.”

The air suddenly feels cold. He pulls his legs out of the water and to his chest. Will sits to face him and readjusts so his hand is on Nico’s knee.

“You’re going to go to New Rome and realize you’re too smart for me, too good. You’re going to find someone who’s better for you, and realize that you wasted your time with me and you’ll get your dream job and your dream house with someone who actually knows what they want to do and gets your references and doesn’t get nightmares so you can actually sleep-”

“Okay, stop. Just stop. Nico.” Will pulls him into his chest and that’s all it takes. Nico wraps his arms around Will’s waist and tries to not sob.

He feels Will bend over him, covering him from the sun above. He strokes Nico’s cheek and he has to shut his eyes.

“You’re being so stupid, sunshine,” Will whispers, “I love  _you_. I want  _you._ It’s been like that for years. Do you really think I didn’t factor you into my plans? You’re the only constant in there, sweetheart, it’s always been you.”

Will runs a hand through Nico’s hair. “You are so smart and brave and kind. I don’t want anybody else. I’m not going to shove you to the side because you haven’t decided what you want to do. You can be a sparring teacher, or you can be a fucking wine taster for the rest of your life, I don’t care I just want you with me. My dream life is one with you.”

Nico’s throat is too tight to say it back so he squeezes Will as long and hard as he can. He hopes it’s enough.

“The first day isn’t important. I’ll go tomorrow tonight.”

He lifts his head just enough for Will to hear him. “No, don’t do that. You have to go.”

Nico knows he just wanted Will to stay, but he loves him too much to hold him back.

“Nope. It’s already decided. You’re more important than any first impression.”

Nico nods, still unsure, but he’s not going to force the issue.

“We’re going to have to talk about this tomorrow, baby.”

Nico nods again. “I know.”

Will kisses his temple for a long moment, “I’m sorry I made you feel excluded. I thought it was a given that you were always a part of it as long as you’ll have me.”

He turns in Will’s lap so he can look up into blue eyes that remind him of where the sky and ocean meet.

His words implied doubt, but Will’s eyes show promise. His chest still aches with doubt and anxiety which he will knows will triple tomorrow, but for now he has Will for another day. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


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